Basically what you do to wind down and go to sleep. I've got a busy week ahead of me at work and I have this bad habit of always staying up till 3 AM or later because I can't get myself to focus on going to sleep. What are some things you guys do to help you get to sleep/get in the mindset of sleeping?
I'm very much a morning person. Even though I don't start work until 9am, I wake up between 5am and 6am every morning, even weekends. This gives me enough time to do something like running, cycling, or work out before going to work. However because of this I find myself feeling really sleep around 10pm every evening. So my usual rituals would be either watching an unknown Twitch stream (few viewers, less interaction), or watching an episode of something on the BBC iPlayer. That's purely routine, since I don't take in anything I watch, and I always fall asleep about 10-15 minutes after getting into bed. But I honestly believe it's the getting up early and having a somewhat active lifestyle which helps me fall asleep so quickly.
That's great. I mentioned in another comment that I have trouble getting myself to wake up if I don't have to be up yet. I think I'll definitely work on that. Set a goal for 9 at first, then see if I can make it earlier as I get used to it and hopefully that'll affect how tired I am at night.
This probably goes against all kinds of scientific research, but I play a slower-paced game when I want to wind down. Games like Just Cause 2, Space Hulk Ascension, Creeper World 3, or Gemcraft. I used to go to bed by reading a book, but my girlfriend goes to bed way earlier than I do and I don't want to wake her by using a light. I think that the transition from a faster paced game or one that requires more thought to a more casual game helps my brain to wind down. If I go straight to bed, my mind will sit there and go a mile a minute and I'll be restless. Hope that helps!
Well hey, if it works, it works, right? And tbh I have never played any of those games but I would certainly be down to give any of them a try if it settled my mind for the night. That's the biggest thing I have trouble with. Can't get my mind to slow up. Thanks for the input!
I'll toss you a list of games, and a very brief description.
Creeper World 3: Arc Eternal Siege warfare. Minimalist graphics game where you try and stem the tide of creeper until you can push close to a spawner and destroy it. Here's the free flash version. Diablo III ARPG. Don't play hardcore and you won't have to care when you fall asleep while running into walls. Gemcraft: Chasing Shadows Tower defense. Summon and combine gems with various effects while completing tons of different levels. Level up and put points into skills to gain mana faster or increase gem strength, etc. Also comes in a free flash version. Gnomoria Town builder. Dwarf Fortress + actual graphics. Take 8 gnomes and build a town that can grow to accept nomads. Dig deep to mine new materials and gems. Forge weapons, build homes, and try to survive against the goblin hordes (optional, you can turn off fighting.) Super fun and relaxing game. Just Cause 2 Open world TPS. Run around and shoot stuff. You can grapple onto just about anything. You also have a parachute which you can magically deploy at about any time. If you ever played Mercenaries for PS2, it's similar. Mindless action. Kerbal Space Program Space sim. Build a rocket, pray that it doesn't explode and that you remembered to put all the parts on it. A little bit more engaging than the other games, but it can be very relaxing to build a rover and drive around some of the planets. La-Mulana Just kidding. Fuck that game. Legend of Grimrock RPG/Puzzle. You move as a party of 4, trying to escape from a dungeon. There are monsters, traps, puzzles, and secrets. Most of the puzzles are pretty easy. It's finding the secrets that takes work. They're optional, but they offer some good loot. Battle is in real time. Orcs Must Die! 2 Trap-based tower defense. Play as a wizard-type in 3rd person. Lay traps for Orcs. Upgrade traps or equipment. Pretty mindless most of the time, but entertaining nonetheless. Sanctum 2 TD + TPS. Pick a character, weapons, and up to 4 towers. Stop the enemy from reaching your core. You fight the waves of enemies while inside your maze of towers. Sid Meier's Civilization V Turn-based 4X. Start as a fledgling nation and explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate (4X) your way to victory. Tech ranges from basic melee to giant death robots. Space Engineers Sandbox. Build whatever you want, but in space. Space Hulk Ascension Turn-based tactics. Adaptation of the board game Space Hulk. Lead small squad(s) of Space Marines through the wreckage of massive warships infested with aliens. Torchlight II ARPG. Choose a class, kill mobs, get loot. Good variety of skills and equipment unlike Diablo III. Waking Mars Platformer/Puzzle. Explore the underground caverns of Mars, learning how life is surviving beneath the surface and opening new pathways by completing various puzzles that revolve around the various lifeforms. X3: Reunion Space trading/combat. Pilot various kinds of ships from small fighters to massive cargo or capital ships. Trade goods between various systems to gain reputation and credits. Buy bigger ships. Good for playing while listening to a podcast in the background. Zombie Shooter Shoot zombies.
Banished Town builder. Start with a handful of families and limited supplies. Grow your village so that you can survive and thrive. Very relaxing.
I have tons of other games, but I think these are the most relaxing. Hopefully some of these are of some interest to you!
Edit - Markup was a mess. Still learning!
Oh, right. You'll need to set a timer for that one. Playing Civ 5 is the closest thing we have to time travel.
No bullshit, that's wonderful. I've made that best decision two times in the past already. I sincerely hope you stay true to it.
I have too actually. I could never stick to it and I didn't realize why until I watched a youtube video (yeah, I know but it was really good) I always left an opening for when I could go out with friends or celebrate with a glass of wine or whatever the exception was and there was always an exception popping up then before I knew it, I was hammering through bottles weekly again. He is right, 100% has been a breeze because I don't even think about it, I don't have this empty yearning when I pass a liquor store. It has been a breeze and I am over a month at this point, which is longer than I have ever had before.
If you don't mind me asking, how has this impacted your social life?
No one cares whether I drink or not. Events that I would have go to regardless are totally fine and it hasn't been a problem at all. That said, I have definitely cut back on going to get togethers where the objective is to get drunk because they are not fun anymore. Being drunk with other drunk people is fun, being sober with drunk people is super fucking annoying. If I am out at a smashfest and I don't want to deal with the 'why aren't you drinking' then I get a glass of club soda, throw a lime wedge on there and lie to people. Again, I don't really go to those any more because they really are a waste of time and I want to leave early anyways because I don't want to fuck up my morning routine.
It's for the best. Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster but it hinders your brain's ability to go into the REM stage of sleep that actually allows your mind to refresh itself. You'll fall asleep quickly and then feel groggy and unrested the next day when you use alcohol as a sleep aid.
I usually just read on my phone (with Twilight installed to cut out blue light) in bed for half an hour, but that's probably not a good thing. If I'm having a hard time sleeping I try to tense up all my muscles from my toes to my head until I'm all tense, then release. If I do that 2 or 3 times I usually feel really heavy and tired and am ready to go to sleep. If I don't need to fall asleep right away, a podcast or two usually makes me fall asleep eventually.
Well, I guess I'll be the first to put it out there on this thread. I watch/listen to ASMR videos. ASMR stands for autonomous sensory meridian response. It is a pleasant tingling sensation in the head and spine that is caused by various "triggers," including personal attention and soft, repetitive sounds. Not everyone feels it. I am one of the lucky bunch that does. Thing is, even if you don't experience ASMR, many of the videos designed to trigger it are also just very relaxing because of the soft sounds and slow, gentle movements.
I think I've heard of that before when there were people talking about it and some of those sounds being in the PES "Fresh Guacamole" video. I don't think I got any of those sensations but I did find the sounds relaxing so maybe it'll be something to try out!
Yeah, I could definitely see that video triggering ASMR. I tend to prefer the videos that are made specifically for it.
It can sometimes take over an hour for me to fall asleep, so I've developed some strict rules.
About an hour before bed, I'll set my alarm on my phone, have a big glass of water, and then cut off all screen usage. No internet, no TV, no phone, nothing. I also avoid eating or doing strenuous activity. If I was just looking at a screen, I'll take a nice, slow walk. If the weather isn't conducive to that, I'll do some easy stretches and yoga poses. I used to listen to music as well, but I've found that some good old peace & quiet is better for helping me wind down. Afterwards, I brush my teeth, take a piss, and head to bed.
One thing that helps tremendously is f.lux. It's a program that slightly changes the hue and brightness of your computer screen depending on the time of day. It's seriously magnificent!
Hmm that's interesting, I'll be sure to look into it especially since reading things at night on the computer causes lots of eye strain. And I too need some strict rules when it comes to falling asleep at a certain time. I am not the best at time management. Something I've been working on constantly.
My bed sings me a song that I can hear all throughout the day. Good luck, though.
I listen to music if the problem is that I've got too much on my mind to stop thinking. It drowns out distractions in my environment and provides a distraction from my thoughts. The rhythm and familiarity help lull me into sleep. If my problem is just that I'm over simulated I'll read something dense and meaty that takes a lot of thought to grasp. I'll get too tired from trying to think too hard while sleepy and that ultimately quiets my mind and body. I use Plato's Republic or contradictionsinthebible.com. I really love the latter when I'm awake enough to reflect on it, but at night it is a one way ticket to sleepyville. Plato's Republic put me to sleep every time I tried to read it for school because the arguments are very circular and repetitive in nature. I really wanted to like it but my mind said no.
I'll just read really, although lately I'm less likely to keep the lamp on and read a book than use an e-reader during bedtime (an iPhone app, or something with a backlight). It's easier to just turn it off and throw it on my nightstand than worry about turning off the lamp and taking care of the book and saving my page. If I do this, I usually end up being shaken out of my grogginess and lying in bed thinking about the universe and the inevitability of death, which in turn keeps me awake...
So yeah, e-reader with a backlight.
Haha, yeah books are great but they can really screw up a sleep schedule. I remember I read one called Recovery Road all in one night and it had me up till past 5 because I just couldn't put it down. Also this is off-topic but I saw your username and it reminded me of this guy I used to play MW2 on xbox with the same name. Him and I would get a group together and demolish in team deathmatch, and he always played better when he was drinking somehow lol. Anyways, your username just brought up some fond memories.
I remember, my parents, and even my friends, would become cross with me("It's a serious problem!") for reading so much (just in general, not specifically during the early morning hours). They've finally given up with the relentless interventions, thank god, and they leave me alone about it now. I'm glad my username has brought happiness to someone other than my own lonely self, hah. I have to admit though, I'm faking it with the latin. I just googled interesting latin words and came up with this (there's an awesome poem by the same title too, you should check it out if you haven't already).
Dang that's crazy, interventions for reading haha. Glad they leave you alone about it now. Also I honestly didn't even know it was latin, the only things I associate with the word are that guy, and that movie with Morgan Freeman which I haven't even seen all the way through lol. Oh, and there is a book I think that the movie was based off of, which is why he chose that gamertag. Have not heard ofread the poem but I will check it out for sure
Oh that's cool that you start out strong and then slow it down as the playlist progresses. May have to try that. I've tried playlists that are all fairly soft but I also don't like going to bed with music playing because I have this weird sense of "unfinished business" that makes me want to stay up and finish it. Sometimes it works though. Sometimes.
I don't have a bed time routine but I have a morning routine that I follow like clockwork. I get up at 5 am no matter what, including weekends and I walk through my routine. It is magic and by the time I am out of the house I am at 100%. I can get by with 10 hours, 8 hours, 5 hours, easy peasy as long as I wake up at 5 am every day.
What's your routine other than waking up at 5?
My routine is as follows:
I drink half a liter of water
Brush teeth
Washroom
Workout for thirty minutes (usually jump rope then a kettle bell workout)
Shower
Meditate for ten minutes
Get dressed
Eat breakfast (usually a blueberry/banana shake)
Then I am out the door. If it is the weekend then I will usually throw in a thirty minute run after my workout and a bigger less healthy breakfast.
Wow, I really admire that. Maybe that could be my first step. Not quite that early, but something like 8 or 9 could work. I have a lot of trouble motivating myself to wake up when I don't necessarily have to be up yet. Something to work on for sure. Then by the time I'm off work and am ready for bed, I'll be tired enough to actually sleep and not just lay there for nearly an hour.
Haha, that's one way to do it. What my dad does is he swigs some Nyquil and that seems to knock him out. Medicine never really worked for me though. I remember one time I had a bad cold and my mom gave me Mucinex D and whatever was in it not only kept me up most of the night, but it made me irrationally angry. It was not a fun night.
If you need mucinex to clear out some mucus it will definitely keep up later. You'll be coughing like a bitch hahaha